Insulating sealing element for head-of-wall joints

ABSTRACT

A sealing element for sealing a gap between a support structure and a track, where the track includes a web and legs that extend vertically from the web. An embodiment of the sealing element has an insulating strip that includes an insulating material strip and a cover layer.

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/972,956, filed Mar. 31, 2014, the disclosure of which is expressly incorporated by reference herein.

BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention deals generally with the field of acoustical or firestopping insulation for head-of-wall joints, including, possibly, intumescent components.

In the building construction trade, a head-of-wall joint/gap (also sometimes referred to as a top-of-wall joint/gap) refers to the linear junction or interface existing between a top section of a framing or wallboard wall assembly and the ceiling, where the ceiling may be a next-level floor or corrugated/fluted pan roof deck, for example. A head-of-wall assembly is comprised of and defined by the following elements of overhead structure, top of wall framing deflection system, fill, void, or cavity materials protecting any joints. Corrugated/fluted deck includes either floor or roof pan deck assemblies varying in flute size, height, and configuration. Concrete decks include post-tension slabs, poured in place concrete, and precast concrete units. Gypsum drywall ceilings are common fire rated assemblies.

Head-of-wall joints often present a serious challenge in terms of reducing or preventing the spread of smoke and fire during a building fire. In this regard and in common practice, a wall to ceiling connection of many newly constructed buildings consists essentially of metal framing assemblies. These metal framing assemblies are generally constructed from a plurality of metal framing members including studs, joints, trusses, and other metal posts and beams formed from sheet metal and frequently fabricated to have the same general cross-sectional dimensions as standard members used for similar purposes. Typical head-of-wall deflection systems include the following: “single long leg track”, which is a U-shaped track having typically longer legs, typically free floating studs, some type of bracing (CRC, flatstrap) to prevent rotation of studs; “double track”, which is a nested track configured of two U-shaped profiles, designed for screw attachment to brace studs without need for other bracing materials; “slotted track”, which is a U-shaped track having vertical slots located in the legs allowing for faster attachment thought the slots, whereas screws keep the studs in place; and “slotted clips”, which are u-shaped tracks having pre-installed slotted clips that allow for attachment of fasteners through the slots, another way to attach the studs to eliminate dislodging. Although many cross-sectional shapes are available, the primary shapes used in building construction are C-shaped studs and U-shaped tracks. These C-shaped studs and U-Shaped tracks may vary in their size, which, however, are standardized. The steel track (or channel) is configured to receive steel studs between the legs of the shaped channel. A wallboard is generally attached to at least one side of the studs. The studs and wallboard are in many instances spaced apart from the ceiling a short gap distance in order to allow for ceiling deflections caused by seismic activity or moving overhead loads. Track and stud assemblies that allow for ceiling deflections are commonly referred to as dynamic head-of-wall systems. Exemplary steel stud wall constructions may be found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,854,096 and 4,805,364 both to Smolik, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,127,203 to Paquette. Exemplary dynamic head-of-wall systems having steel stud wall constructions may be found in U.S. Pat. No. 5,127,760 to Brady and U.S. Pat. No. 6,748,705 to Orszulak et al.

Firestops are thermal barrier materials or combinations of materials used for filling gaps and openings such as in the joints between fire-rated walls and/or floors of buildings. For example, firestops can be used in walls or floors to prevent fire and smoke from passing through the gaps or openings required for cables, pipes, ducts, or other conduits. Firestops are also used to fill joint gaps that occur between walls, between a ceiling and the head-of-wall joints.

So-called head-of-wall joints pose a number of challenges for the fireproofing industry. Walls are increasingly being made of gypsum wallboard affixed to a framework of metal studs capped by a horizontally extending track. Ceilings are increasingly being made by pouring concrete onto fluted steel. Although the distance between the horizontally extending tracks at the top of the wall is often fixed in relationship to the ceiling, the gypsum wallboards are subject to expansion and contraction due to motion of other building components, ground settling, or other causes. The joint, based on amount of deflection required, is designed and constructed to allow for vertical movement, allowing the wall to move independent of the structure, due to forces such as Live/Dead loading, thermal expansion/contraction, wind sway, or seismic movements. The head-of-wall joints allow vertical movement without damaging the wall or drywall. The drywall is the fire protection component and it's key that it's not damaged/cracked.

In order to contain the spread of smoke and fire, a fire resistant material such as, for example, mineral wool is often times stuffed into the gaps between the ceiling and wallboard (see, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 5,913,788 to Herren). For example, mineral wool is often stuffed between a steel header track (e.g., an elongated U-shaped channel) and a corrugated steel roof deck (used in many types of steel and concrete building constructions); a fire resistant and generally elastomeric spray coating is then applied onto the exposed mineral wool to thereby form a fire resistant joint seal (see, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 7,240,905 to Stahl). In certain situations where the ceiling to wallboard gap is relatively small, a fire resistant and elastomeric caulk is commonly applied so as to fill any small gaps. In still another approach and as disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,471,805 and 5,755,066 both to Becker, a slidable non-combustible secondary wall member is fastened to an especially configured steel header track and immediately adjacent to the wallboard. In this configuration, the secondary wall member provides a fire barrier that is able to accommodate ceiling deflections. All of these approaches, however, are relatively labor intensive and thus expensive.

Intumescent materials have long been used to seal certain types of construction gaps such as, for example, conduit through-holes. In this regard, intumescent and fire barrier materials (often referred to as firestop materials or fire retardant materials) have been used to reduce or eliminate the passage of smoke and fire through openings between walls and floors and the openings caused by through-penetrations (i.e., an opening in a floor or wall which passes all the way through from one room to another) in buildings, such as the voids left by burning or melting cable insulation caused by a fire in a modern office building. Characteristics of fire barrier materials suitable for typical commercial fire protection use include flexibility prior to exposure to heat, the ability to insulate and/or expand, and the ability to harden in place upon exposure to fire (i.e., to char sufficiently to deter the passage of heat, smoke, flames, and/or gases). Although many such materials are available, the industry has long sought better and more effective uses of these materials and novel approaches for better fire protection, especially in the context of dynamic head-of-wall construction joints and gaps.

Thus, and although construction joints and gaps are generally sealed in some manner (e.g., mineral wool and/or elastomeric coatings; see also, U.S. Patent Application No. 2006/0137293 to Klein), there are relatively few products and methods available that effectively and efficiently seal head-of-wall construction joints and gaps to thereby significantly enhance the ability of such joints and gaps to withstand smoke and fire penetration. In particular, there are very few products and methods available that address the needs for adequate fire protection and sealing of dynamic head-of-wall systems associated with steel stud wall constructions.

Recently more advanced head-of-wall fire block arrangements have been developed based on fire block header tracks. These fire block header tracks utilize an expandable fire-resistant material, such as an intumescent material, applied along a length of the header track of a wall assembly. The intumescent material is either positioned on the web of the header track, on the legs (hereinafter also referred to as flange) of the header track or alternatively wraps around a corner of the header track, extending both along a portion of a web of the header track and a flange of the header track. The intumescent material advantageously is held in place between the web of the header track and the floor or ceiling above the wall. When exposed to a sufficient temperature, the intumescent material expands to fill gaps at the head-of-wall. The portion of the intumescent trapped between the header track and the floor or ceiling ensures that the intumescent stays in place as it expands and does not become dislodged as a result of the expansion.

With the use of such fire-resistant material, the metal tracks often require a unique construction on the exterior surface of the metal track which can have a predefined area such as a recess or the like which identifies the specific location required for placement of such an intumescent and/or acoustic layer of insulation material. In particular, as the joint moves responsive to normal expansion and contraction of the building components, the insulating tape and/or the coatings of insulating material which is attached directly to the surfaces of flanges can become dislodged from components of the head-of-wall area, that is, particularly dislodging from the surfaces of the downwardly extending side sections of the track or runner. Also these systems do not specifically address variations in the contour or profile of the ceiling or roof area which comes into direct abutment with the upper portion of the metal track. Such variations in the configuration of the building construction in this area can form gaps between the track and the adjacent roof or ceiling area which are not adequately addressed for insulation by the above described prior art systems.

One of the advantages of the sealing element of the present invention is that it is usable with conventionally OEM metal track construction and does not require any customized design for the ceiling runner.

It is an object of the sealing element for insulating head-of-wall joints of the present invention to effectively seal between conventionally designed metal track sections and the immediately adjacent roof or ceiling area for firestopping and optionally acoustic insulating thereof.

It is an object of the sealing element for insulating head-of-wall joints of the present invention to be usable with any joints and gaps between construction elements, preferably conventional steel framing and gypsum board wall constructions.

It is an object of the sealing element for insulating head-of-wall joints of the present invention to be usable with floor or roof constructions of any conventional construction including solid concrete or a composite material installed atop a corrugated steel deck.

It is an object of the sealing element for insulating head-of-wall joints of the present invention to prevent the spread of sound, noise, fire, super-heated gases, flames and/or smoke in these areas.

It is an object of the sealing element for firestop insulating head-of-wall joints of the present invention to provide more effective insulating by providing the insulating material just before the joint between the top of the metal track and the bottom of the support structure, e.g., overhead structure in case of a ceiling, to assure sealing against cold gases and smoke before the material provides a firestop at elevated temperatures.

It is an object of the sealing element for insulating head-of-wall joints of the present invention to minimize costs and maintenance requirements.

It is an object of the sealing element for insulating head-of-wall joints of the present invention to expedite installation and minimize labor costs.

Many patents have been applied or granted for various constructions for insulating head-of-wall joints as described above such as shown in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2011/247281 A1 published Oct. 13, 2011 to Don A. Pilz et al. assigned to California Expanded Metal Products Company on a “FIRE-RATED WALL CONSTRUCTION PRODUCT”; U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2013/031856 Al published Feb. 7, 2013 to Don A. Pilz et al. assigned to California Expanded Metal Products Company on a “FIRE-RATED WALL CONSTRUCTION PRODUCT”; U.S. Pat. No. 8,281,552 B2 patented Oct. 9, 2012 to Don A. Pilz et al. assigned to California Expanded Metal Products Company on a “EXTERIOR WALL CONSTRUCTION PRODUCT”; U.S. Pat. No. 8,499,512 B2 patented Aug. 6, 2013 to Don A. Pilz et al. assigned to California Expanded Metal Products Company on a “EXTERIOR WALL CONSTRUCTION PRODUCT”; U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2013/0086859 A1 published Apr. 11, 2013 to Donald A. Pilz et al. assigned to California Expanded Metal Products Company on a “FIRE-RATED WALL AND CEILING SYSTEM”; U.S. Pat. No. 7,617,643 B2 patented Nov. 17, 2009 to Donald A. Pilz et al. assigned to California Expanded Metal Products Company on a “FIRE-RATED WALL AND CEILING SYSTEM”; U.S. Pat. No. 7,950,198 B2 patented May 31, 2011 to Donald A. Pilz et al. assigned to California Expanded Metal Products Company on a “FIRE-RATED WALL AND CEILING SYSTEM”; U.S. Pat. No. 8,087,205 B2 patented Jan. 3, 2012 to Don A. Pilz et al. assigned to California Expanded Metal Products Company on a “FIRE-RATED WALL AND CEILING SYSTEM”; U.S. Pat. No. 8,322,094 B2 patented Dec. 4, 2012 to Don A. Pilz et al. assigned to California Expanded Metal Products Company on a “FIRE-RATED WALL AND CEILING SYSTEM”; U.S. Pat. No. 7,752,817 B2 patented Jul. 13, 2010 to Don A. Pilz et al. assigned to California Expanded Metal Products Company on a “TWO-PIECE TRACK SYSTEM”; U.S. Pat. No. 8,132,376 B2 patented Mar. 13, 2012 to Don A. Pilz et al. assigned to California Expanded Metal Products Company on a “TWO-PIECE TRACK SYSTEM”; U.S. Pat. No. 8,413,394 B2 patented Apr. 09, 2013 to Don A. Pilz et al. assigned to California Expanded Metal Products Company on a “TWO-PIECE TRACK SYSTEM”; U.S. Pat. No. 8,555,566 B2 patented Oct. 15, 2013 to Don A. Pilz et al. assigned to California Expanded Metal Products Company on a “TWO-PIECE TRACK SYSTEM”; U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2011/214371 A1 published Sep. 8, 2011 to James A. Klein assigned to Blazeframe Ind. Ltd. on an “OFFSET LEG FRAMING ELEMENT FOR FIRE STOP APPLICATIONS”; U.S. Pat. No. 8,468,759 B1 patented Jun. 25, 2013 to James A. Klein assigned to Blazeframe Ind. Ltd. on an “FIRE RETARDANT COVER FOR FLUTED ROOF DECK”; U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2011/146180 Al published Jun. 23, 2011 to James A. Klein assigned to Blazeframe Ind. Ltd. on an “ACOUSTICAL AND FIRESTOP RATED TRACK FOR WALL ASSEMBLIES HAVING RESILIENT CHANNEL MEMBERS”; U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2011/167742 A1 published Jul. 14, 2011 to James A. Klein assigned to Blazeframe Ind. Ltd. on “HEAD-OF-WALL FIREBLOCK SYSTEMS AND RELATED WALL ASSEMBLIES”; U.S. Pat. No. 7,681,365 B2 patented Mar. 23, 2010 to James A. Klein on “HEAD-OF-WALL FIREBLOCK SYSTEMS AND RELATED WALL ASSEMBLIES”; U.S. Pat. No. 7,814,718 B2 patented Oct. 19, 2010 to James A. Klein on “HEAD-OF-WALL FIREBLOCKS”; U.S. Pat. No. 7,866,108 B2 patented Jan. 11, 2011 to James A. Klein on “HEAD-OF-WALL FIREBLOCK SYSTEMS AND RELATED WALL ASSEMBLIES”; U.S. Pat. No. 8,056,293 B2 patented Nov. 15, 2011 to James A. Klein on “HEAD-OF-WALL FIREBLOCK SYSTEMS AND RELATED WALL ASSEMBLIES”; U.S. Pat. No. 8,136,314 B2 patented Mar. 20, 2012 to James A. Klein on “HEAD-OF-WALL FIREBLOCKS”; U.S. Pat. No. 8,151,526 B2 patented Apr. 10, 2012 to James A. Klein on “HEAD-OF-WALL FIREBLOCK SYSTEMS AND RELATED WALL ASSEMBLIES”; U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2012/0297710 A1 published Nov. 29, 2012 to James A. Klein on “CONTROL JOINT BACKER AND SUPPORT MEMBER ASSOCIATED WITH STRUCTURAL ASSEMBLIES”; U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2011/0099928 A1 published May 5, 2011 to James A. Klein and Alastair Malcolm on “DEFELCTION AND DRIFT STRUCTURAL WALL ASSEMBLIES”; CA Patent Application Publication No. 2550201 A1 published Dec. 15, 2007 to James A. Klein on “HEAD-OF-WALL FIREBLOCKS AND RELATED WALL ASSEMBLIES”; U.S. Pat. No. 8,181,404 B2 patented May 22, 2012 to James A. Klein on “HEAD-OF-WALL FIREBLOCKS AND RELATED WALL ASSEMBLIES”; U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2013/0186020 A1 published Jul. 25, 2013 to Don A. Pilz assigned to California Expanded Metal Products Company on a “FIRE-RATED JOINT SYSTEM”; U.S. Pat. No. 8,353,139 B2 patented Jan. 15, 2013 to Don A. Pilz et al. assigned to California Expanded Metal Products Company on a “WALL GAP FIRE BLOCK DEVICE, SYSTEM AND METHOD”; U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2013/118102 A1 published May 19, 2011 to Don A. Pilz et al. assigned to California Expanded Metal Products Company on a “WALL GAP FIRE BLOCK DEVICE; SYSTEM AND METHOD”; U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2013/205694 A1 published Aug. 15, 2013 to James P. Stahl assigned to Specified Technologies Inc. on “INSULATING GASKET CONSTRUCTION FOR HEAD-OF-WALL JOINTS”; U.S. Pat. No. 8,375,666 B2 patented Feb. 19, 2013 to James P. Stahl et al assigned to Specified Technologies Inc. on “FIRESTOPPING SEALING MENAS FOR USE WITH GYPSUM WALLBOARD IN HEAD-OF-WALL CONSTRUCTION”; U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2013/091790 A1 published Apr. 18, 2013 to James P. Stahl et al. assigned to Specified Technologies Inc. on “FIRESTOPPING MEANS FOR USE WITH GYPSUM WALLBOARD IN HEAD-OF-WALL CONSTRUCTION”; U.S. Pat. No. 7,240,905 B2 patented Jul. 10, 2007 to James P. Stahl on “METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR SEALING A JOINT GAP BETWEEN TWO INDEPENDENTLY MOVABLE STRUCTURAL SUBSTRATES”; U.S. Pat. No. 6,698,146 B2 patented Mar. 2, 2004 to Michael D. Morgan et al. assigned to W.R. Grace & Co.-Conn. on “IN SITU MOLDED THERMAL BARRIERS”; U.S. Pat. No. 6,783,345 B2 patented Aug. 31, 2004 to Michael D. Morgan et al. assigned to W. R. Grace & Co.-Conn. on “IN SITU MOLDED THERMAL BARRIERS”; U.S. Pat. No. 7,043,880 B2 patented May 16, 2006 to Michael D. Morgan et al. assigned to W.R. Grace & Co.-Conn. on “IN SITU MOLDED THERMAL BARRIERS”; U.S. Pat. No. 7,152,385 B2 patented December 26, 2006 to Michael D. Morgan et al. assigned to W.R. Grace & Co.-Conn. on “IN SITU MOLDED THERMAL BARRIERS”; U.S. Pat. No. 5,010,702 patented Apr. 30, 1991 to T. L. Daw et al and assigned to Daw Technologies, Inc. on a “Modular Wall System”; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,127,203 patented Jul. 7, 1992 to R. F. Paquette on a “Seismic/Fire Resistant Wall Structure and Method”; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,755,066 patented May 26, 1998 to D. W. Becker on a “Slip Track Assembly; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,913,788 patented Jun. 22, 1999 to T. R. Herren on a “Fire Blocking And Seismic Resistant Wall Structure”; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,921,041 patented Jul. 13, 1999 to J. D. Egri, II on a “Bottom Track For Wall Assembly”; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,950,385 patented Sep. 14, 1999 to T. R. Herren on an “Interior Shaft Wall Construction”; and U.S. Pat. No. 6,058,668 patented May 9, 2000 to T. R. Herren on a “Seismic And Fire-Resistant Head-of-Wall Structure”; and U.S. Pat. No. 6,176,053 patented Jan. 23, 2001 to Roger C. A. St. Germain and assigned to Robert C. A. St. Germain on a “Wall Track Assembly And Method For Installing The Same”.

Although the known fire block header tracks provide exceptional performance, there still exists a need for fire block arrangements that can be applied to any desired structure, such as the wall, floor or ceiling of a building construction or to the stud wall assembly and to header tracks. Furthermore, as described herein, alternative embodiments of the wall gap fire blocks can be applied to a wall bottom track to protect a foot-of-wall gap or a (vertical or horizontal) gap in a location other than the head or foot of a wall. The present fire blocks are well-suited to application on the job site.

Preferred embodiments of the present invention provide an optional adhesive insulating material strip that can be applied to a header track or other head-of-wall structure to create a head-of-wall insulation block, including, fire block. The adhesive insulation strip may include strip portions of another material, among other material portions, if desired.

In brief, the present invention is directed in general to a fire retardant head-of-wall assembly configured to seal a linear head-of-wall or similar construction joint or gap when exposed to a heat source, such as in the event of fire. In more detail the present invention is directed to a firestopping sealing for use with dry wallboard, i.e., gypsum wallboard, in a head-of-wall or similar construction including an insulating strip, in particular an elongated insulating material strip, and a cover layer. The insulating strip being positioned on at least one portion of the leg of the track, whereas the insulating material strip only in some embodiments will be affixed on the leg of the track.

The insulating material strip having an outer strip surface offset from the outer leg surface an insulating material strip offset distance and an inner strip surface directed towards the leg surface. In other words, one strip surface faces away from the leg surface towards the wallboard and the other strip surface is directed towards the leg surface. In some embodiments the strip surface which is directed towards the leg surface comes in direct contact with the leg surface. In some embodiments no adhesive is provided between the strip and the leg. In other embodiments an adhesive will be provided between the strip and the leg, in particular when the insulating strip consists of a sticky material and therefore provides stickiness by itself, or alternatively, when an additional adhesive layer is provided on the strip.

The insulating strip includes an insulating material strip and a cover layer that covers the insulating material strip whereas the cover layer secures the insulating strip to the construction element (hereinafter also referred to as support structure), such as a wall, floor or an overhead structure, i.e., a ceiling.

The insulating material strip may comprise non-intumescent and/or intumescent materials, but will preferably include intumescent materials to provide enhanced sealing in the event of fire. These intumescent materials may be constructed partially or entirely from an intumescent material such as CP 646 from Hilti, for example. It is also possible for the insulating material of the present invention to have components of both intumescent and acoustical sealing therewithin. It is particularly preferred that the insulating material includes an intumescent material only. The acoustical insulating material is intended for applications where sealing against sound transmissions is found to be desirable in addition to firestop. Such acoustical insulating configurations can preferably be formed of a felt acoustical insulating material. Alternatively, it can be formed of a foamed insulating material which can easily be provided with intumescent properties by including intumescent additives.

When the temperature rises the intumescent material will expand quickly and block air pathways. In this manner, the entire gap or joint between the construction element, and the top of the drywall assembly, in particular the wallboard and/or track will be sealed, substantially preventing fire, heat, and smoke from reaching other rooms or parts of the building for at least some period of time.

In one embodiment the insulating material may be constructed partially or entirely from a compressible material such as plasticines, fabric (non-woven or woven) or a felt, e.g., glass fiber braid, glass fiber fabric or glass fiber mat. Plasticines, which are also referred to as putties, are frequently used for this application. They generally consist of a liquid polymer such as butyl rubber, plasticizers (paraffin oil, phthalates, adipates, etc.) and fillers, with a filler content of up to 80 percent. In particular the plasticine contains, as liquid polymer, at least one representative of the group comprising polyurethanes, polyvinyl acetates, polyvinyl ethers, polyvinyl propionates, polystyrenes, natural or synthetic rubbers, poly((meth)acrylates) and homopolymers and copolymers based on (meth)acrylates, acrylonitrile, vinyl esters, vinyl ethers, vinyl chloride and/or styrene, preferably poly(alkyl methacrylate), poly(alkyl acrylate), poly(aryl methacrylate), poly(aryl acrylate) and/or copolymers thereof with n-butyl acrylate and/or styrene. The plasticine may comprise fire-protection additives. In this regard reference is made to the U.S. patent application No. 2005/032934 A1 which is incorporated in its entirety herein by reference.

In another, preferred embodiment, the insulating material may be constructed partially or entirely from a pressure-resistant material such as acrylate based polymer or a hard putty such as rubber, e.g., polyisobutylene based rubber. These materials may include a reinforcing member such as glass fibers or a glass fiber fabric to enhance strength of the material. The term “pressure-resistant” means that while installing the wallboard, the material shall be deformed only slightly so that in case of vertical movement of the wallboard tilting and entanglement of the insulating material are always avoided.

More preferably the insulating material is also abrasive-resistant to resist abrasion caused by the wall member rubbing against the insulating material when moving up and down to due movement of the building.

If sound insulation is desired, the intumescent strip may include an additional sound proofing material. If sound insulation is desired without using an additional sound proofing material, the insulating material is made of a material that provides both firestopping, in particular intumescent properties, as well as sound or acoustic insulation properties, e.g., plasticines or foams having intumescent properties.

Intumescent materials include standard fire protection additives known to a person skilled in the art which foam in the event of fire, i.e., with exposure to heat, and in doing so form a foam that inhibits flame propagation, such as an intumescent material based on an acidifier, a compound supplying a carbon and a gas former. The intumescent material preferably includes, as the acidifier, a salt or ester of an inorganic non-volatile acid selected from sulfuric acid, phosphoric acid, and boric acid; as the compound supplying carbon, a polyhydroxy compound and/or a thermoplastic or thermosetting polymer resin binding agent; and as the gas former, a chlorinated paraffin, melamine, a melamine compound, in particular melamine cyanurate, melamine phosphate, melamine polyphosphate, tris(hydroxyethyl)-cyanurate, cyanamide, dicyanamide, dicyandiamide, biguanidine and/or a guanidine salt, in particular guaninide phosphate or guanidine sulfate.

It is particularly preferred that the insulating strip includes an insulating material strip which is pressure-resistant and which has intumescent properties and which additionally is abrasion-resistant.

The insulating material strip also includes a cover layer. The cover layer has two main functions. On the one hand it enables mounting the insulating material strip on the wall or ceiling. On the other hand it provides sufficient sealing of the joint or gap between the dry wall assembly, in particular header track or bottom (floor) track and the construction element, i.e., a wall, floor or ceiling. A further function depending on the material used for the insulating material strip is to provide abrasive-resistance to the insulating material strip.

Therefore, the cover layer is made of an airtight material. Preferably, the cover layer is made of both an airtight and an abrasion-resistant material to provide a sealing against cold gases, like smoke or other harmful gases, and to provide resistance against abrasion resulting in loss of the insulating material caused by repeatedly rubbing of the wallboard over the insulating material. The cover layer can be a film material, preferably a synthetic film like plastic or poly-type material such as polyvinyl chloride or polyalkylene material, for example polyethylene material. Alternatively the cover layer can be an inorganic material, like metal films or any other suitable material. The cover layer provides protection in the event that the wall is designed to accommodate vertical movement, which could result in the wallboard rubbing against the insulating material. However, the cover layer still permits the insulating material to expand in case it comprises an intumescent material. In one embodiment the cover layer has a printable surface.

The cover layer is abrasive-resistant to resist abrasion caused by the wall member rubbing against the insulating material when moving up and down due to movement of the building. This is particularly important in case the insulating material will not follow the movement of the wall member and will maintain its position towards the header track, especially when an adhesive power acts between the insulating material strip and the leg of the header track.

After the insulating material is being brought into its desired positioned near the track the cover layer will constitute the outer surface of the material. The cover layer will come into contact with the wallboard or similar construction element. The side portion of the cover layer with which the insulating material strip is fixed on the construction element will then point away from the track.

In each of the various embodiments the cover layer includes at least one side portion that extends outwardly from the insulating material strip and therefore has a greater dimension than the insulating material. The dimension of the cover layer shall be selected such that sufficient adhesion to the construction element, like a wall, floor or overhead structure, i.e., ceiling, can be achieved by the side portion. The cover layer must not affect movement of the wallboard member. Thus, the cover layer shall be as thin as possible.

In a preferred embodiment the insulating material strip is an elongated strip to be positioned lengthwise at the leg of the header track such that the insulating strip has a great length in one direction and a smaller width to cover only part of the leg of the track. Preferably, the insulating strip is designed as an endless strip. The cover layer then shows a greater width than the insulating material. The insulating material is positioned on the cover layer such that both have a joint edge and the cover layer only extends beyond one side.

The insulating material strip is adapted to extend along a length of the track having a first surface and a second surface. The first surface faces the track and the second surface faces and contacts the wallboard, where each surface defines a length and a width. The width is less than a width of the leg of the track to not cover the leg entirely. With this, the insulating material strip can be positioned on the leg of the track such that the insulating material portion of the strip is positioned either in a middle part, an upper part or a bottom part (lower part) of the leg. Preferably, the insulation material strip is positioned on the leg such that the insulating material portion thereof is positioned in the middle or more preferably lower part of the leg.

The underneath surface of the cover layer includes an adhesive or adhesive layer (herein both referred to as adhesive). The adhesive has two functions. On the one hand the adhesive is to affix the insulating material to the cover layer. On the other hand, the adhesive is to affix the insulating material strip to the wall, floor or ceiling of the construction. The adhesive must provide sufficient adhesion to construction elements made of various materials, like concrete, brick, wood and the like. Suitable adhesives are for example acrylic adhesives, butyl rubber adhesives, and bitumen.

Preferably a removable protective layer covers that part of the underneath surface of the cover layer which extends beyond the insulating material until the insulating strip is ready to be applied.

In one (first) aspect of the invention the insulating strip comprises a cover layer and an insulating material strip. The cover layer not only covers the insulating material strip but also includes a side portion that extends outwardly from the insulating material strip and therefore has a greater dimension than the insulating material. The dimension of the cover layer shall be selected for sufficient adhesion to the element the insulating strip shall be attached. But, for improved appearance the insulating material strip, in particular the cover layer shall not extend beyond the joint, i.e., when mounted on the construction element, e.g., ceiling, the cover layer shall not extend beyond the wallboard member and thus shall not be visible after the wallboard member is mounted.

With the side portion of the cover layer the insulating strip of the first aspect of the invention will be fixed to the support structure, like a wall, floor or overhead structure, i.e., ceiling, on the leg or on the web of the track. For this an adhesive layer can be used which will preferably be applied on that part of the side portion of the cover layer, which contacts the support structure or the track. Additionally the insulating material strip may also be provided with an additional adhesive layer to fix the insulating material strip on the track.

The advantage of the insulating strip according to the first aspect of the invention is that the width of the insulating material strip is independent from the maximal size of the gap between the wallboard and the support structure.

After the insulating material is being brought into its desired positioned near the track the cover layer will constitute the outer surface of the material. The cover layer will come into contact with the wallboard or similar construction element. The side portion of the cover layer with which the insulating material strip is fixed on the construction element will then point away from the track.

The insulating strip according to the various embodiments of the first aspect of the invention can be used with solid and with slotted tracks. If it is intended to use the insulating strip with slotted tracks the thickness of the insulating material strips located on the first and second side portion of the cover layer and after its installation on the track will be positioned on the legs of the track corresponding to the size, in particular height, of the screw heads used for securing the studs to the track. The insulating material strips are positioned on the leg below the screws so that the screws are covered by the cover layer of the insulating strip. The screws can freely move between the track and cover layer. The slots are sealed against cold gases and smoke. Hot gas and fire sealing will be provided by the intumescent properties of the insulating material.

In another embodiment the intumescent effect of the insulating material, if an intumescent material is used, can be enhanced so that the intumescent material is directed towards the gap between the wallboard and the structure element. To achieve this, the cover layer has an additional side portion that extends beyond the insulating material strip. The additional side portion will be wrapped around one edge of the insulating material strip. After installation of the insulating strip, the enveloped edge of the insulating material strip will constituted the end of the insulating strip which is positioned on the lower part of the leg.

In still another embodiment the insulating strip includes an additional insulating material strip, whereas both material strips are arranged side by side in direct abutment with each other. Preferably, the insulating material strips consist of different materials, whereas one of them comprises an intumescent material and the other a non-intumescent material. In a preferred embodiment, the intumescent material strip is positioned at one edge of the cover layer, whereas the non-intumescent material is positioned next to it, preferably in direct abutment with the intumescent material strip. The cover layer extends beyond the free end of the non-intumescent material strip to still constitute a side portion. The non-intumescent material preferably comprises a material which provides sound and acoustic insulation, like a glass fiber fabric, or a foamed material.

In another (second) aspect of the invention the insulating strip includes a cover layer and two insulating material strips.

The cover layer, which is an elongated layer, is designed as a continuous strip defining two faces, an upper and a bottom face. This holds for all aspects and embodiments of the present invention. The width of the continuous strip is selected depending on the size of the header track or other construction product to which the insulating strip shall be attached. The continuous strip defines a middle section which extends generally horizontally and which will be positioned on the web of, for example, a header track and defines side sections (hereinafter also referred to as first and second side sections), so that the total width of the tape is larger than the width of the web. While installing the insulating strip the side sections shall cover both flanges of the header track or other head-of-wall structure.

The two insulating material strips are arranged side-by-side on the same face of the cover layer. The strips are elongated strips and extend along each leg of the track when the insulating strip is positioned on the header track, i.e., in a length direction. The insulating material strips are positioned at a certain distance between each material strip to define separated material strips and to define sections without any insulating material therebetween.

Preferably one insulating material strip is positioned on each of the side sections so that one insulating material strip is positioned on the first side section and another insulating material strip is positioned on the second side section of the cover layer. The middle section of the cover layer will be free of any additional insulating material. After installing the insulating strip, the insulating material strips are facing towards the header track or other construction product. In this embodiment the cover layer serves as a protective layer to protect the insulating strips as discussed further below.

The insulating strip will be mounted on the track such that the insulating material strips on the first and second side sections will face towards the leg of the track and will be positioned in the lower part of the leg. With this the upper part of the legs and the web is free of any insulating material and will only be covered by the cover layer. Preferably, the two insulating material strips are located near the lower edges of the leg distal from the web to have a maximum distance between each other.

The overall width of the elongated insulating strip from one outside edge of the insulating strip to the other outside edge varies depending on the size of the header track or other construction product on which the insulating strip shall be installed. The width of the middle section depends on the width of the web of the header track or other construction product. The width of the side sections depend on the desired application, e.g., normal and slotted tracks, and/or the desired deflection requirement of the insulating strip. The width of the side sections again depends on the size of the legs or the type of the leg.

The insulating strip can be applied to a header track or other construction product, such as a bottom track, metal stud, metal flat strap or any other framing member that needs an open gap between the wallboard and a perimeter structure, in particular for movement (deflection or drift) but not restricted thereto. In other words, the elongated insulating strip can be used for sealing any open gap between the wallboard and the construction product or between the construction product and a perimeter structure, like the support structure, for example, a floor, side walls or ceiling. The insulating strip allows the gap to stay open for movement and provides fire and smoke protection and/or sound reduction.

For a better adhesion of the insulating material strips on the track or support structure, an additional adhesion layer can be used on the opposite surface of the insulating material strip which is provided with the cover layer, i.e., on that surface which faces the support structure or the track. Moreover, an adhesion layer can be used for securing the cover layer on the web. This also helps to install the insulating strip on site.

The insulating strip according to the various embodiments of the second aspect of the invention can be used with solid and with slotted tracks. If it is intended to use the insulating sealing element with slotted tracks the insulating strips will be located on the first and second side portions of the cover layer and after the installation of the insulating sealing element on the track the insulating strips will be positioned on the legs of the track. In this case the thickness of the insulating material strips corresponds to the size, in particular height, of the screw heads used for securing the studs to the track. The insulating material strips are positioned on the leg below the screws so that the screws are covered by the cover layer of the insulating strip. The screws can freely move between the track and cover layer. The slots are sealed against cold gases and smoke. Hot gas and fire sealing will be provided by the intumescent properties of the insulating material.

In still another (third) aspect of the invention the insulating strip includes a cover layer and four insulating material strips.

The cover layer, which is an elongated layer, is designed as a continuous strip defining two faces, an upper and a bottom face. The width of the cover layer is selected depending on the size of the header track or other construction product to which the insulating strip shall be attached. The cover layer defines a middle section which extends generally horizontally and which will be positioned on the web of, for example, a header track and defines side sections (hereinafter also referred to as first and second side sections), so that the total width of the tape is larger than the width of the web. While installing the insulating strip the side sections shall cover both flanges of the header track or other head-of-wall structure.

In a first embodiment the four insulating material strips are arranged side-by-side on the same face of the cover layer. The strips are elongated strips and extend along the web when the insulating strip is positioned on the header track, i.e., in a length direction. The insulating material strips are positioned at a certain distance between each material strip to define separated material strips and to define sections without any insulating material therebetween.

Preferably one insulating material strip is positioned on each of the side sections so that one insulating material strip is positioned on the first side section and another insulating material strip is positioned on the second side section of the cover layer. The other two insulating material strips are positioned in the middle section of the cover layer so that they are positioned between the insulating material strip of the first side section and the insulating material strip of the second side section. After installing the insulating strip, the insulating material strips are facing towards the header track or other element of the drywall assembly. In this embodiment the cover layer serves as a protective layer to protect the insulating strips against abrasion as discussed further above.

The insulating strip will be mounted on the track such that the insulating material strips on the first and second side sections will face towards the leg of the track and will be positioned in the lower part of the leg. With this the upper part of the leg is free of any insulating material and will only be covered by the cover layer. Preferably, the two insulating material strips positioned on top of the web and facing towards the web will be located near the edges of the web to have a maximum distance between each other.

The insulating material strips will preferably include a fire-resistant material and/or an acoustically insulating material. The insulating material strips may be made from the same or different material. A compressible or deformable material strip portion is preferably positioned on the top of the header track or other head-of-wall structure to provide enhanced smoke, air and sound seal at the head-of-wall. A pressure-resistant material strip portion is preferably positioned on a side flange of the header track or side surface of the other head-of-wall structure so that the pressure-resistant portion is positioned between the header track, especially the leg, or other head-of-wall structure and the wallboard. Preferably the two insulating material strips that are to be positioned on the web of the track are arranged near the edges of the track. For a fire-proof insulation it is sufficient that the insulating material of the side portions are provided with intumescent properties and that the portions of the insulating material strip positioned on top of the track are provided with sound insulating properties. To enhance the fire-proof properties all insulating material strips are provided with intumescent materials.

In a further embodiment the four insulating material strips are arranged so that two of the insulating material strips are arranged on one face of the cover layer and two of the insulating material strips are arranged on the opposite face of the cover layer. After installing the insulating strip two insulating material strips are arranged on the bottom face and the other two insulating material strips are arranged on the upper face of the cover layer.

Preferably one insulating material strip is positioned on each of the side sections so that one insulating material strip is positioned on the first side section and another insulating material strip is positioned on the second side section of the cover layer. The other two insulating material strips are positioned on the middle section of the cover layer so that they are arranged between the insulating material strip of the first side section and the insulating material strip of the second side section. The insulating material strips are arranged at a certain distance from each other. The two insulating material strips which are positioned on the first and the second side sections are arranged on the same face of the cover layer. The other two insulating material strips which are positioned on the middle section are arranged on an opposite face of the cover layer.

Similar to the embodiment described above, the insulating strip will be mounted on the track such that the insulating material strips on the first and second side sections will face towards the leg of the track and will be positioned in the lower part of the leg. With this the upper part of the leg is free of any insulating material and will only be covered by the cover layer. Preferably, the two insulating material strips positioned on top of the web and facing towards the support structure will be located near the edges of the web to have a maximum distance between each other.

In alternative to the just described two embodiments, the two insulating material strips positioned in the middle section of the cover layer and located on top of the web can be replaced by a single broad insulating material strip that covers the entire web. With this the insulating strip includes a cover layer and three insulating material strips. The singly broad insulating material strip can either face the support structure or the web of the track.

After having attached the insulating material strip of the first embodiment (all insulating material strips positioned on the same side of the cover layer) of the third aspect of the invention to the track the cover layer will constitute the outer surface of the material. The cover layer will be in contact with both the support structure and the wallboard.

The overall width of the elongated insulating strip from one outside edge of the insulating strip to the other outside edge varies depending on the size of the header track or other construction product on which the insulating strip shall be installed. The width of the middle section depends on the width of the web of the header track or other construction product. The width of the side sections depend on the desired application, e.g., normal and slotted tracks, and/or the desired deflection requirement of the insulating strip. The width of the side sections again depends on the size of the legs or the type of the leg. In any event, the insulating strips on the side sections and the insulating strips on the middle section are only positioned on the legs and on the web of the header track or other construction product, respectively.

The insulating strip can be applied to a header track or other construction product, such as a bottom track, metal stud, metal flat strap or any other framing member that needs an open gap between the wallboard and a perimeter structure, in particular for movement (deflection or drift) but not restricted thereto. In other words, the elongated insulating strip can be used for sealing any open gap between the wallboard and the construction product or between the construction product and a perimeter structure, like the support structure, for example, a floor, side walls or ceiling. The insulating strip allows the gap to stay open for movement and provides fire and smoke protection and/or sound reduction.

In one arrangement two material strip portions may be positioned on the top of the header track or other head-of-wall structure facing away from the header track towards the ceiling or wall to provide a smoke, air and sound seal at the head-of-wall. The other two material strip portions may then be positioned on a side flange of the header track or side face of the other head-of-wall structure so that the other two material portion are positioned between the header track or other head-of-wall structure and the wallboard.

The insulating material strips will preferably include a fire-resistant material and/or an acoustically insulating material. The insulating material strips may be made from the same or different material. A compressible or deformable material strip portion is preferably positioned on the top of the header track or other head-of-wall structure to provide enhanced smoke, air and sound seal at the head-of-wall. A pressure-resistant material strip portion is preferably positioned on a side flange of the header track or side surface of the other head-of-wall structure so that the pressure-resistant portion is positioned between the header track, especially the leg, or other head-of-wall structure and the wallboard. Preferably the two insulating material strips that are to be positioned on the web of the track are arranged near the edges of the track. Depending on the material used for the cover layer, for a fire-proof insulation it is sufficient that the insulating material of the side portions are provided with fire-resistant properties, which do not include expansion of the insulating material, especially for cover layers made of glass fibers. These materials provide sufficient fire resistance so that the insulating material need not necessarily be intumescent. Improved fire-resistance can be achieved by the insulating material being provided with intumescent properties and that the portions of the insulating material strip positioned on top of the track are provided with sound insulating properties. In case the insulating material will expand when the temperature raises, the insulating material cover layers need not be made of a fire-resistant material. To enhance the fire-proof properties all insulating material strips are provided with intumescent materials. To even better enhance the fire-proof properties all insulating material strips are provided with intumescent material and the cover layers are made of a fire-resistant material.

For a better adhesion of the insulating material strips on the track or support structure, an additional adhesion layer can be used on the opposite surface of the insulating material strip which is provided with the cover layer, i.e., on that surface which faces the support structure or the track. This also helps to install the insulating strip on site.

Since the gap or joint between the support structure and the track in general is very small compared to the gap between the wallboard and the support structure, the thickness of the insulating material used may also be small, or alternatively, the intumescence of the material when exposed to elevated temperatures can be selected to be small. Reduced intumescence can be achieved for example by using only a small amount of intumescent compounds which makes the insulating material cheaper.

The insulating strip according to the various embodiments of the third and fourth aspect of the invention can be used with solid and with slotted tracks. If it is intended to use the insulating strip with slotted tracks the thickness of the insulating material strips located on the first and second side portions of the cover layer and after its installation on the track will be positioned on the legs of the track corresponds to the size, in particular height, of the screw heads used for securing the studs to the track. The insulating material strips are positioned on the leg below the screws so that the screws are covered by the cover layer of the insulating strip. The screws can freely move between the track and cover layer. The slots are sealed against cold gases and smoke. Hot gas and fire sealing will be provided by the intumescent properties of the insulating material.

In a still another (fifth) aspect of the invention intended for use with slotted tracks the insulating strip includes a cover layer and an insulating material strip, whereas the insulating material strip is adapted to cover screws with which the studs are fixed to the track. After the insulating material is being brought into its desired positioned near the track the cover layer will constitute the outer surface of the material. The cover layer will come into contact with the wallboard or similar construction element. In this embodiment the insulating material strip will neither hinder movement of the screws nor will the screws injure the insulating material strip. For this, the insulating material strip is provided with a recess to accommodate the screw head. Accordingly, the insulating material strip has two portions with a bigger thickness (also referred to as protruding portions). After installation of the insulating material strip one of the protruding portions will be positioned on the leg of the track below the slot and the other portion will be positioned above the slot. The thickness of the insulating material strip shall be selected such that the protruding portions have a thickness which is bigger than the height of the screw heads to ensure that the screws will be covered—also on top—by the insulating material. It is preferred that the height of the recess is slightly bigger than the height of the screw heads to ensure that the insulating material will not be injured when the screws will move. The protrusions and the recess will form a channel, the channel covers the screws and the slot when the insulating strip is mounted on the leg of the track.

The dimension of the insulating material strip shall be selected such that—depending on the length of the slots—one protruding portion can be positioned above the slot and the other protruding portion will be positioned below the slot. Preferably the protruding portion positioned above the slots will be designed to contact the bottom of the support structure to which the track will be fixed and to cover the gap or joint between the track and the support structure, e.g., between the header track and the overhead structure.

The cover layer not only covers the insulating material strip but also includes a side portion that extends outwardly from the insulating material strip and therefore has a greater dimension than the insulating material. The dimension of the cover layer shall be selected for sufficient adhesion to the element the insulating strip shall be attached. But, for improved appearance the insulating material strip, in particular the cover layer, shall not extend beyond the joint, i.e., when mounted on the construction element, e.g., a ceiling, and the cover layer shall not extend beyond the wallboard member and thus shall not be visible after the wallboard member is mounted. The insulating strip can be fixed either to the track or to the support structure in any way as described above for the other aspects of the invention.

As to the materials which can be used for the insulating material strip and the cover layer reference is made to the above descriptions.

The insulating strip of the fifth aspect may be designed as a single strip to be positioned on one side of the track, whereby a separate second insulating strip can be positioned on the other side of the track. As to this, the insulating material strip includes a cover layer and one insulating material strip. Alternatively, the insulating strip of the fifth aspect may be designed as a strip including one broad cover layer and two insulating material strips analogous to the insulating strip of the second aspect of the invention. Therefore, the description of the second aspect also holds for the fifth aspect.

The above-described and other features, aspects and advantages of the present invention are described below with reference to drawings of preferred embodiments, which are intended to illustrate, but not to limit, the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of a stud wall assembly with an insulating strip assembly installed at the head-of-wall according to one embodiment of the first aspect of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of a stud wall assembly with an insulating strip assembly installed at the head-of-wall according to another embodiment of the first aspect of the invention;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of a stud wall assembly with an insulating strip assembly installed at the head-of-wall according to another embodiment of the first aspect of the invention;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of a stud wall assembly with an insulating strip assembly installed at the head-of-wall according to another embodiment of the first aspect of the invention;

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of a stud wall assembly with an insulating strip assembly installed at the head-of-wall according to another embodiment of the first aspect of the invention;

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of a stud wall assembly with an insulating strip assembly installed at the head-of-wall according to one embodiment of the second aspect of the invention;

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of a stud wall assembly with an insulating strip assembly installed at the head-of-wall according to one embodiment of the third aspect of the invention;

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of a stud wall assembly with an insulating strip assembly installed at the head-of-wall according to another embodiment of the third aspect of the invention;

FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of a stud wall assembly with an insulating strip assembly installed at the head-of-wall according to one embodiment of the fourth aspect of the invention;

FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of a stud wall assembly with an insulating strip assembly installed at the head-of-wall according to another embodiment of the fourth aspect of the invention;

FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of a stud wall assembly having a slotted track with an insulating strip assembly installed at the head-of-wall according to one embodiment of the first aspect of the present invention; and

FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of a stud wall assembly having a slotted track with an insulating strip assembly installed at the head-of-wall according to an embodiment of the fifth aspect of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIGS. 1, 3 and 5 illustrate various possibilities to fix the insulating strip 1 of the first aspect of the invention to the dry wall assembly. The dry wall assembly includes a header track 7 with a web 8, legs 9, wallboards 11 and studs (not shown). The header track is a U-shaped channel that is attached to an upper horizontal support structure 10 (also referred to as overhead structure 10). Wall studs (not shown) are received in the header track 7 and may be configured for vertical movement relative to the header track 7. A wallboard 11 is attached to the studs such as by a plurality of suitable fasteners.

The insulating strip 1, in particular an elongated strip, according to the first aspect of the invention includes an insulating material strip and a cover layer which extends on one side beyond the insulating material strip. The insulating material strip is positioned on the cover layer so that one long edge of the elongated material strip aligns with one long edge of the elongated cover layer.

As shown in FIG. 1 an insulating strip 1 including an insulating material strip and a cover layer is affixed on the support structure, e.g., overhead structure, with the portion of the cover layer extending beyond the insulating material strip. The insulating material strip is positioned lengthwise in abutment with at least one, preferably both legs 9 of the header track 7, and preferably comes in contact therewith. The cover layer supports movement of the wallboard 11 and protects the insulating material strip against abrasion due to the movement of the wallboard 11. The insulating material strip can be additionally attached to the leg 9 either by an adhesive (not shown) or by using a self-adhesive material as insulating material. Thus, the insulating strip will stay in place and will not follow the movement of the wallboard 11.

The insulating strip may additionally include a further insulating material strip to enhance sound and acoustic insulation as best shown in FIG. 2. With reference to FIG. 2, the further insulating material strip 3, which preferably is a sound insulating material, is located side-by-side to the insulating material strip 2, which preferably is an intumescent material. It is preferred that both material strips 2 and 3 are made of an abrasive-resistant material. The further insulating material strip is positioned on the upper portion of the leg 9 and is located near the support structure 10.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 5 an insulating strip 1 including an insulating material strip and a cover layer is affixed on the track 7, whereas in FIG. 3 the strip 1 is affixed on the leg 9 and in FIG. 5 the strip 1 is affixed on the web 8. In the embodiments shown, the insulating strip 1 differs from the one shown in FIG. 1 in that a portion of the cover layer is attached to the leg (FIG. 3) or web (FIG. 5) near the corner between the web 8 and the leg 9 by use of an adhesive (not shown).

FIG. 4 illustrates another embodiment of the insulating strip 1 according to the first aspect, showing the strip directed towards the support structure, e.g., overhead structure, in the event of fire. As shown, the insulating material strip 1 includes a cover layer with two side portions, whereas one side portion of the cover layer is wrapped around the corner of the insulating material strip, which preferably includes an intumescent material. As a result thereof, when the intumescent material expands due to elevated temperatures, the expansion will be directed towards the support structure, since the second side portion of the cover layer provides a barrier of the expanding material.

FIG. 6 illustrates an insulating strip 1 having two insulating material strips and a cover layer connecting and covering both insulating material strips applied to a head-of-wall structure, in particular to a header track 7, according to one embodiment of the third aspect of the invention. The insulating strip 1 is attached to the header track 7 so that the insulating material strips are positioned between the legs 9 and the wallboard 11. Each insulating material strip is positioned in the lower part of the leg 9 near its end. The cover layer extends from one edge of the first insulating material strip to the other insulating material strip thereby covering each insulating material strip and the web. In this embodiment the insulating material strip can either be installed at the construction site or on the job side before mounting the track to the support structure.

FIGS. 7 and 8 illustrate the insulating strip 1 of the third aspect of the invention applied to a head-of-wall structure, in particular to a header track 7. The insulating strip 1 includes two first insulating material strip portions 20 and two second insulating material strip portions 30. The insulating strip 1 is attached to the header track 7 so that a portion, i.e., the middle section with the second material strip portions 30, is positioned between the header track 7 and the overhead structure 10 and another portion, i.e., the side sections with the first material strip portions 20, is positioned between the legs 9 and the wallboard 11. With reference to FIG. 7, preferably the insulating material strip portions 20 are positioned between the legs 9 of the header track 7 and the wallboard 11 and the insulating material strip portions 30 are positioned between the web 8 and the overhead structure 10. In the shown arrangement, the cover layer in the side sections constitutes the face of the insulating strip 1 that faces towards the wallboards 11 and comes in direct contact with the wallboards 11. And in the middle section constitutes the face of the insulating strip 1 that faces towards the overhead structure 10, i.e., the insulating material strip portions 30 are positioned between the cover layer and the web 8.

The insulating material strip portions 20 are fixed on the legs 9 of the header track 7 either by their inherent adhesion or by an optional adhesive layer on its surface (not shown), the surface facing towards the leg of the header track 7. Preferably, the transition between the side sections and the middle section of the insulating strip 1 is aligned with the corner between the web 8 and the legs 9 of the header track 7 (also referred to as edge of the header track). The insulating material strip portions 30 are secured on the header track 7 by their inherent adhesion or by an optional adhesive layer. Either of the two insulating material strip portions 20 or 30 can be self-adhesive or provided with an adhesive layer (not shown) on both insulating material strip portions. In one embodiment only the two insulating material strip portions 30 are self-adhesive or are provided with an adhesive layer (not shown). It is preferred that the two insulating material strip portions 20 are made of a pressure-resistant and abrasive-resistant material, which more preferably also has intumescent properties, and the two insulating material strip portions 30 are made of a compressible material which, however, does not has intumescent properties or is only slightly intumescent.

Alternatively, the two intumescent material strip portions 30 may be positioned such that they directly contact the overhead structure 10, i.e., are positioned between the cover layer and the overhead structure 10 as best shown in FIG. 8.

FIGS. 9 and 10 illustrate the insulating strip 1 of the fourth aspect of the invention applied to a head-of-wall structure, in particular to a header track 7. The insulating strip 1 includes two first insulating material strip portions 20 and one second insulating material strip portion 30. The insulating strip 1 is attached to the header track 7 so that a portion, i.e., the middle section with the second material strip portion 30, is positioned between the header track 7 and the overhead structure 10 and another portion, i.e., the side sections with the first material strip portions 20, is positioned between the legs 9 and the wallboard 11. With reference to FIG. 9, preferably the insulating material strip portions 20 are positioned between the legs 9 of the header track 7 and the wallboard 11 and the insulating material strip portion 30 is positioned between the web 8 and the overhead structure 10. In the shown arrangement, the cover layer in the side sections constitutes the face of the insulating strip 1 that faces towards the wallboards 11 and comes in direct contact with the wallboards 11. And in the middle section constitutes the face of the insulating strip 1 that faces towards the overhead structure 10, i.e., the insulating material strip portion 30 is positioned between the cover layer and the web 8.

In alternative to the insulating material strip portion 30 positioned between the web 8 and the cover layer as shown in FIG. 9, the insulating material strip portion 30 is positioned between the cover layer and the overhead structure as best shown in FIG. 10.

FIG. 11 illustrates the insulating strip 1 of the first aspect of the invention applied to a dry wall assembly with slotted tracks. The thickness of the insulating material strip corresponds to the size, in particular height, of the screw heads used for securing the studs to the track. The insulating material strip is positioned on the leg below the screws so that the screws are covered by the cover layer of the insulating strip. The screws can freely move between the track and cover layer. The slots are sealed against cold gases and smoke by the cover layer.

This arrangement also holds for all embodiments or the other aspects of the invention, when these are applied to slotted tracks.

FIG. 12 illustrates the insulating strip 1 of the fifth aspect of the invention applied to a dry wall assembly with slotted tracks, whereas the insulating strip includes a cover layer and an insulating material strip. The insulating material strip has two protruding portions, one of which is positioned below the screws and the slots and the other portion is positioned above the screws and the slots. The recess portion covers the screw heads and enables movement of the screws within the slots without injuring the insulating material strip. The thickness of the insulating material strip corresponds to the size, in particular height, of the screw heads used for securing the studs to the track or is slightly bigger. The slots are sealed against cold gases and smoke by the cover layer. The width of the intumescent material strip corresponds to the width of the leg 9. With this, the insulating material strip will connect the overhead structure 10 and covers the gap/joint between the overhead structure 10 and the header track 7.

While particular embodiments of this invention have been shown in the drawings and described above, it will be apparent that many changes may be made in the form, arrangement and positioning of the various elements of the combination. In consideration thereof, it should be understood that preferred embodiments of this invention disclosed herein are intended to be illustrative only and not intended to limit the scope of the invention.

The foregoing disclosure has been set forth merely to illustrate the invention and is not intended to be limiting. Since modifications of the disclosed embodiments incorporating the spirit and substance of the invention may occur to persons skilled in the art, the invention should be constructed to include everything within the scope of the appended claims and equivalents thereof. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A sealing element for sealing a gap between a support structure and a track, wherein the track includes a web and legs that extend vertically from the web, comprising: an insulating strip including an insulating material strip and a cover layer adhesively attached to the insulating material strip; wherein the cover layer has a first portion that extends beyond the insulating material strip; and wherein the insulating material strip is disposed at a first end of a leg of the track, wherein the first end of the leg is disposed away from the web.
 2. The sealing element according to claim 1, wherein the first portion of the cover layer is adhesively attached to the support structure, wherein the first portion of the cover layer extends away from the leg, and wherein the insulating material strip is adhesively attached to the leg.
 3. The sealing element according to claim 1, wherein the insulating strip further includes a second insulating material strip, wherein the second insulating material strip is disposed at a second end of the leg, and wherein the second end of the leg is disposed near the support structure.
 4. The sealing element according to claim 1, wherein the first portion of the cover layer is adhesively attached to the leg.
 5. The sealing element according to claim 1, wherein the first portion of the cover layer is adhesively attached to the web.
 6. The sealing element according to claim 1, wherein the cover layer has a second portion that extends beyond the insulating material strip, wherein the first portion of the cover layer is adhesively attached to the leg, and wherein the second portion is disposed around an end of the insulating material strip.
 7. The sealing element according to claim 4, wherein a thickness of the insulating material strip corresponds to a height of a head of a screw, wherein the screw is disposed in the leg, and wherein the insulating material strip does not cover the head.
 8. The sealing element according to claim 2, wherein a thickness of the insulating material strip is larger than a height of a head of a screw, wherein the screw is disposed in the leg, and wherein the head is disposed in a recess defined by the insulating material strip.
 9. A sealing element for sealing a gap between a support structure and a track, wherein the track includes a web and legs that extend vertically from the web, comprising: an insulating strip including a first insulating material strip, a second insulating material strip, and a cover layer adhesively attached to the first insulating material strip and the second insulating material strip; wherein the first insulating material strip is disposed on a first leg of the track, wherein the second insulating material strip is disposed on a second leg of the track, and wherein the cover layer extends around the web.
 10. The sealing element according to claim 9: wherein the first insulating material strip is disposed at a first end of the first leg and wherein the first end of the first leg is disposed away from the web; and wherein the second insulating material strip is disposed at a first end of the second leg and wherein the first end of the second leg is disposed away from the web.
 11. The sealing element according to claim 9: wherein the insulating strip includes a third insulating material strip and a fourth insulating material strip; wherein the cover layer is adhesively attached to the third insulating material strip and the fourth insulating material strip; and wherein the third insulating material strip and the fourth insulating material strip are disposed between the web and the support structure.
 12. The sealing element according to claim 11, wherein the third insulating material strip and the fourth insulating material strip are disposed between the cover layer and the web.
 13. The sealing element according to claim 11, wherein the third insulating material strip and the fourth insulating material strip are disposed between the cover layer and the support structure.
 14. The sealing element according to claim 9: wherein the insulating strip includes a third insulating material strip; wherein the cover layer is adhesively attached to the third insulating material strip; and wherein the third insulating material strip is disposed between the web and the support structure.
 15. The sealing element according to claim 14, wherein the third insulating material strip is disposed between the cover layer and the web.
 16. The sealing element according to claim 14, wherein the third insulating material strip is disposed between the cover layer and the support structure. 